


Tips For Writing Realistic...

by theatre_kid_next_door



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:47:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24781789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theatre_kid_next_door/pseuds/theatre_kid_next_door
Summary: these are just some tips for writing realistic things that i've noticed some people are misinformed about! if you have any more, feel free to comment!
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

For Writing Realistic...Periods. obviously a TW for menstruation/blood.

Yep, periods. A lot of people write about periods and don't know firsthand what they're like. So, from someone who goes through it every month, here are some tips!

-Some people have cramps, some people don't. For some people they're mild, for some people they're extremely painful. They can feel like stabbing pain, or a dull ache, kind of like having to poop. And cramps can start before the bleeding starts, too!

-There are more symptoms than cramps and bleeding! Here are some ideas of other symptoms.  
-Hot flashes/chills   
-Migraines  
-Cravings (more on this later)  
-Headaches  
-Nausea  
-Mood swings  
-Dizziness  
-Cravings. While chocolate cravings are common, people can crave different things! 

-The heaviest bleeding is usually on days 1 and 2.

-It can last anywhere from 3-7 days! I've found that if one is brutal, then it's usually shorter. And if a period is easier pain-wise, it makes up for it in duration.

-It almost never looks like blood from a cut. 

\- YOU. CAN'T. HOLD. IT. LIKE. PEE. You'd be surprised at how many times i've explained this. 

-Animals know. So if your character has/will meet a dog during that time of the month, make sure to mention the awkward dog-sniffing-crotch. I bet werewolves would do the same thing, if you write that sort of thing. 

That's all I can think of for now. If anyone has any other tips, leave a comment!


	2. Chapter 2

How to write realistic...chronic pain! obviously a trigger warning.

Hello. I have chronic pain. Nobody writes about it. That's a problem. So here's how!

-Sometimes the character will be fine and feel great, sometimes they'll barely be able to move.

-I, at least, know when a flare is coming. I feel symptoms in advance, such as a little pain in my left upper arm.

-Use metaphors sparingly. Please. However, even I sometimes will compare my pain to a more common symptom. Like I once compared a flare to having a broken rib, because that's what it felt like.

-Don't write that the character's going through a flare, then have them be running around an hour later. My pain doesn't give me any breaks. Remind the reader about the pain if the character is still able to do everyday tasks. Examples:  
'She climbed the stairs with her good leg.'  
'They rubbed their throbbing arm.'  
Make sure you do this, but don't do it constantly. And if the character is stuck in bed, then you won't need to do this. 

-If you REALLY want to hurt the character and the reader, have someone be a complete asshat. Have a gym teacher yell at a child who deals with scoliosis for 'faking it.' Have a professor get mad at a character with fibromyalgia for being propped up in bed and not answering questions due to the pain during an online class. Have a doctor not believe your character when they say they're dizzy and sometimes lose vision when they stand up. Have someone dismiss your character's endometriosis as 'just period cramps.'

-Your character is more than their illness. Please give them a personality that's not pain. They're not a diagnosis, they're a human (or elf or fairy or vampire) that happens to have chronic pain.

-Their pain will affect those around them. Maybe their friends get concerned for them, and visit them at their house (or not, if you really want to be mean to the character and the reader.) Maybe their parents are stressed from scheduling doctor's appointments. Be creative! 

-Go outside the box with illnesses. Don't just stick to cancer, because while that is a common illness, it's definitely not the only one. 

-That being said, please, for the love of everything that is holy, research the illness that your character has. It will make you, the writer, sound like an idiot, and it might end up offending someone. Please research it.

-NO FUCKING PITY POINTS. What's a pity point, you ask? It's when someone gets away with being an asshole just because they must be a poor little angel cursed with some awful life ruining disease. Nope. They'll still be held accountable for their actions. They're still a person, just a person with chronic pain. 

-There's always going to be emotional pain that comes with it. Maybe your teenage character is upset that they can't go to that party because of a flare. Maybe your character has a panic attack because they don't want to be a burden on their family/friends/significant other. 

-Don't kill the character. I say this not only because I don't want to be sadder than I am, but also because it's just not good representation. Imagine you have a chronic illness, but every work you see about it has the character die. Really gives you hope, doesn't it. 

Ok, that's about it. Comment if you have any other tips!


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